


and when you slammed the front door shut a lot of others opened up

by NaomiLeyers



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Implied Ramsay Bolton/Theon Greyjoy, Implied/Referenced Incest, Minor Jon Snow/Ygritte, Minor Theon Greyjoy/Robb Stark, POV Jaime Lannister, Past Abuse, Ygritte Is The Best, as in blink and you miss it, as in blink twice and you miss it, minor Jaime Lannister & Tyrion Lannister, not cersei friendly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:41:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25868368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaomiLeyers/pseuds/NaomiLeyers
Summary: where meeting Ygritte on a fairly bad day turns out to be one of the best things that happened to Jaime Lannister in the long run
Relationships: Jaime Lannister & Ygritte, Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth, Past Cersei Lannister/Jaime Lannister - Relationship
Comments: 12
Kudos: 88





	and when you slammed the front door shut a lot of others opened up

**Author's Note:**

  * For [janie_tangerine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/janie_tangerine/gifts).



> nothing belongs to me except plot, all characters belong to GRRM, the title is from Chris Daughtry’s Over You and all the mistakes are my own

Jaime, upon entering the army, has expected many things.

However, he never expected sitting at the court and waiting for the verdict after being charged with murder.

At least- and he is still not entirely sure who exactly did his father bribe to make it happen- his trial is being judged at a _civil_ court not the army one, which means the jury might, just might, be willing to concentrate on the part where Aerys ordered him to shoot _families_ of the rebels and not on the part where he instead shot his superior and he stares at his hands, which haven’t really stopped shaking since _´I’ll burn this place to the ground!´_ and he feels like screaming and like throwing up, not necessarily in that order.

Before he can decide which one to start with, his line of thoughts is interrupted.

“Are you going to throw up?”

At that he looks up.

The approaching redhead is pretty and tall with pale and freckled skin and she is dressed up in a pantsuit and she looks absolutely not impressed with him but also like she maybe, _maybe_ , doesn’t want to set him ablaze, which is, in the last two months at least, new.

“No,” Jaime tells her, slowly and she sits down next to him, openly ignoring his personal space.

“You look like you might,” she says.

“I _won’t_.”

She shrugs. “If you say so. Name is Ygritte, by the way,” she adds, offering him her hand and he shakes it, surprised.

“Jaime-“

“Lannister, I know,” she agrees- he thought so, but it is still surprising that she knows who he is and she still doesn’t treat him as if he has plague. (He purposely does _not_ think of Cersei kicking him out of her apartment after he screamed himself raw the second night after his return, or of his father asking him to _please_ stay away from the family until the trial is over and couldn’t he have waited until _after_ Cersei’s wedding and his fusion with the company of Robert Baratheon?)

“You really look like you are going to be sick,” Ygritte tells him and she continues, before he can protest. “The jury will sit there for at least an hour, I think. Do you _have to_ be here or can you leave?”

She doesn’t ask _are you under arrest_ , for which Jaime is thankful.

“I guess I should stay here in case they decide earlier-“ he starts and she stares at him, even more unimpressed, for a moment and then she gets up and walks to the guard.

“I’m taking him out for a coffee,” she informs him- Janos Slynt smirks.

“Really? Your boyfriend won’t be happy to hear about that- how can he lead the precinct if he cannot even control you?”

Jaime winces at that, purposely staring into the nearest wall and isn't _that_ what Cersei has been telling him all the time? _How can she manage their Father’s company if he is being difficult on purpose?_

Ygritte, to her credit, crosses her arms on her chest and looks ready to stare Slynt into submission.

“Right,” she says. “I forgot you live in an alternate reality, where women sit at home and don’t dare even breathe without their significant other allowing it. I have friends and I have acquaintances, Slynt. Male and female, just like Jon does- and never fear, he _is_ going to win the elections.” She smiles and Jaime decides it is almost scary. “Oh, and it is _fiancé_ now. You probably haven’t heard since we only informed our family and friends- in fact, the wedding is in July and shitty ex-colleagues are _not_ invited. I’ll make sure to send you a photo from the honeymoon, though. And now. You have my number, if the jury passes the verdict earlier, you’ll call me, and I am only taking him to the café across the street. _Have a nice day_.”

Then she turns to Jaime and she smiles for real.

“Obviously, you don’t _have to_ come. But I really think you should.”

He follows her, mostly because it is not like today can get _worse_.

*

In the next twenty minutes he finds out she has actually graduated from King’s Landing University in behavioural psychology before deciding she would rather arrest criminals than analyse them and so she joined the KLPD, she is engaged and she was at the court because she had to testify in another case and then she looks at him, serious and she says “You looked terribly alone and terribly unhappy, why isn't your family with you here, by the way?” and Jaime winces.

“Well… my brother wanted to come, but he has his PhD interview,” he admits and it’s true, Tyrion wanted to postpone it, but it is not like Jaime couldn’t handle this on his own and he will not let his brother endanger his career for him. “And as far as my father and sister are concerned, they do not want to have anything with me, until I am cleared at least.”

Ygritte crosses her arms on her chest.

“Wow,” she says. “Your family mostly sucks.”

“You don’t really sugarcoat things, do you?” Jaime says and he kind of wants to get angry except than _his family does mostly suck, doesn’t it_?

“If you think it’s normal to be treated like this, you know nothing,” she tells him and before he can answer her phone buzzes and she shoots him an apologetic glance and gets up to pay for their drinks.

*

Two weeks after he has been cleared, he takes advantage of the fact that his brother’s best friend actually does work at the police (even though Jaime will never understand _why_ ) and he asks him for Ygritte’s number. She picks up after the third ring and tells him _“Took you long enough, I was getting worried.” “You could have called_ me _,”_ he reminds her and she laughs. _“I will not pressure you and besides, rearranging your life like this can’t be easy, I am giving you_ time _, Lannister.”_

She adds she will be more than happy to see him sometimes for a coffee and then she hangs up on him and he sighs, stares at his phone for a moment and then she goes back to _rearranging his life_ , which mostly consists of getting used to living in an _apartment_ and not in a mansion, not taking his father’s phone calls, _definitely_ not taking Cersei’s and having a dinner with Tyrion at least twice a weak and it’s almost nice, except that he can’t help worrying it might all go to hell somehow, soon enough.

Another week later the paparazzi are no longer pursuing him because Ned Stark’s son apparently punched his boyfriend’s ex hard enough for him to end up in ER. (Jaime has actually _met_ Robb Stark before and he might be the nicest person Jaime has ever met, which means said ex most probably deserved it, but it doesn’t change anything for the press and truth to be told, Jaime isn't complaining if it means he can go outside again.)

He calls Ygritte and asks her if she feels like getting coffee with him in some thirty minutes, mostly because otherwise he would probably talk himself out of it – she agrees and he starts looking forward to the meeting, which is of course why it turns out _bad_.

“You look good,” Ygritte tells him when she meets him. “But I’m feeling sort of underdressed now.”

Which is fair, because he was going to have an interview later and so he is dressed up in a suit and she is wearing leggings and a tank top because she went jogging and he probably should have warned her but she doesn’t seem to mind it too much.

“What do we have here,” says a female voice and Jaime fucking _winces_ as he looks up from his seat and at Cersei.

“What do you want?” he asks and he is honestly surprised his voice only shakes a little, given he needs to dig his nails into the flesh of his palm to stop his hands from shaking. “More importantly, how the hell did you even find me? And the most importantly, which part of _I do not want to be anywhere near you ever again_ didn’t you understand?!”

Cersei rolls her eyes, unimpressed.

“Really, Jaime,” she says. “It’s getting ridiculous. Look at yourself, hiding here. Not that I am surprised, you did run away to the war and left _me_ dealing with the company and helping our Father. I’m not surprised you’re hiding, but that was enough. You were cleared, my wedding is in two weeks _and you don’t get to leave me_!”

“It was you who decided I wasn’t good enough for you after Aerys,” Jaime says, tired, and he is purposely _not_ looking at Ygritte, because _of course_ Cersei would say that and- well.

She did fuck half of their family’s friends while he was gone and he is exhausted and he hates it that he is most definitely assassinating his first real friendship but he feels sick and she came here and he doesn’t think he can hide it anymore.

“And it was you who persuaded me to enlist in the first place. If I recall correctly, you did not want your precious Rhaegar to find out about us.”

“Jaime!” she gasps, scandalized, but then she schools her expression into a cold mask _and how could he believe he loved her_?

“You are obviously crazy,” Cersei says, shooting a quick glance to Ygritte, who is paler than she was before. “And sick if you fantasized _that_ story. I’ll have to talk to our Father about finding you a psychiatrist and clearly a good one if-“

“You could do that even though I doubt you will,” Ygritte says and at that they both look at her for real. “Or you could leave. You know, the way Jaime here _asked_ you to. Because I was having a pleasant morning, more importantly, I was having a _free_ morning and I meet enough abusers _at work_ , I don’t fucking need them in my free time.”

If the situation was any different, Jaime thinks he might actually laugh at how _shocked_ Cersei looks.

“ _Abuser_ ,” she spits. “You think _I_ am _abusing_ him? He needs me!”

“Nice one,” Ygritte says. “Where did I hear that before? You should also try _without me he is nothing_. But you’ll have to do that somewhere else, because either you leave _now_ or I’m calling my fiancé. And given the very personal case we are dealing with right now, I think he will be more than happy to arrest you and be done with it. So? Are you leaving or-“

Cersei stares at her, then she turns to Jaime.

“I can’t believe you’re choosing this bitch over me,” she snarls.

“So you missed the part where I have a fiancé,” Ygritte comments. “But I do. And it’s very possible for a man and a woman to be friends. And I don’t see you leaving.”

Cersei does look very unhappy at that, but Ygritte is actually holding a cell phone in her hand and she clearly does _not_ wish to make it to the news.

When she leaves, Jaime about drops back to his seat. Ygritte sits down next to him and how come she isn't leaving?

“Alright,” she says. “Give me two minutes, okay? I’m getting you the biggest chocolate cake they have here and a camomile tea and then we can talk.”

She is back with both items in less than that and with an espresso for herself and she leans back in her seat, watching him and waiting, but not saying anything.

“You probably have questions,” Jaime says and Ygritte bites her lip.

“Not really,” she tells him. “I mean, I can figure out most of the story by myself. And if you _want_ _to_ talk about it, please do, but if not, then I only have one question. Do you want a restraining order on her?”

“Yes,” Jaime says. “Yes, I think I do.”

“Splendid. Then finish this and we can go straight to the precinct.”

(Later that day, he calls Tyrion to inform him about Cersei. Tyrion states he wants to marry Ygritte when he finds out about the restraining order.)

*

Jaime is honestly not sure when having morning coffee with Ygritte has become a habit, but he is not going to complain anytime soon.

As it is, they are both sitting outside, both dressed for work, and discussing _politics_ of all and it is not his most favourite topic but Viserys Targaryen is running for the mayor and _how_ can he think it is a good idea?

“I sincerely hope Cat does wipe the floor with him,” Ygritte tells him. “Have you _seen_ what she did to the city-funded hospital? She is the best crisis manager in this city and god knows we _need_ that.”

“Sorry, I’m probably early,” someone says and Jaime looks up and-

The woman is gorgeous.

Well, she is tall- taller then him, probably, and she is wearing a jacket that was definitely cut for men and her hair is pale blonde and he is almost sure her nose has been broken at least once, but she has also wonderful blue eyes and, long story short, Jaime is so gone it’s not even funny and he doesn’t even know her name.

“Nonsense,” Ygritte says, motioning to the free chair at their table. “Brienne – Jaime Lannister, the resident non-profit founder. Jaime – Brienne Tarth, our resident behavioural psychology postgraduate, god knows she had much more patience than I did and she actually did stick with it.”

The woman – _Brienne_ and it’s, Jaime decides, a very nice name, blushes.

“Ygritte was the best in our class back in undergraduate,” she says while shaking Jaime’s hand – she has a very nice grip.

Ygritte laughs.

“Second best and switching careers was a good move, thank you very much, but I really do need your help now.”

“I told you already, if you need a perfect profile, you need to go to someone who actually _has_ PhD, at least,” Brienne says and Ygritte rolls her eyes at her.

“And I told you already it’s _not_ official, ergo your profile is more than enough.”

Brienne sighs.

“You know I’ll do all I can to help you. I need to be at the uni at noon though, so we should be going-”

“Sure thing,” Ygritte says getting up. “If you don’t mind waiting a moment; it is my turn paying.”

It is not; in fact Jaime is pretty sure he hasn’t paid for any of their meals or coffees or whatever, as Ygritte is clearly trying to prevent him from thinking she is wasting her time with him only for his money and isn't is sad that it might be the nicest thing anyone (not counting Tyrion, obviously) has ever done for him?

“I’m sorry to interrupt your morning,” Brienne says quietly.

“You didn’t interrupt anything,” he answers immediately, smiling. “I have a meeting in half an hour anyway. So you are helping her with a case?” _Smooth, Lannister._

“I shouldn’t be. But she told our professor he’s an arrogant son of a bitch some thirty seconds after she graduated and I’m the only other person in this city she can consult with.” She shrugs. “Not that I blame her, he _is_ an arrogant son of a bitch.”

“But you stayed.”

“I wanted this since I was twelve,” Brienne tells him. “I’m not quitting to make him feel victorious.”

And right, Jaime is _definitely_ gone.

“Done,” Ygritte proclaims, grabbing her jacket and hugging Jaime (he hasn’t been hugged this much in his whole life – not counting Tyrion, _again_ – and it’s kind of sad, he thinks and once, once he will be able to return the hug without freezing for a moment).

Brienne smiles at him before following her.

*

“This friend of yours,” he starts, suddenly insecure.

“Brienne,” Ygritte supplies easily, not really looking at him as she is finishing a report for Jon Snow, because apparently this- sharing a pot of coffee and working on entirely unconnected things with a friend (a _female_ friend) is what his life has become- as if Jaime doesn’t remember. As if he hasn’t been desperately trying to not sound as eager as he feels.

“Would you mind giving me her number?” he asks her and at that she looks at him and she looks… victorious? He isn't sure, but the last time she looked so content with herself, she was arresting Ramsay Bolton (and he knows, because she was on the news doing that).

“No,” she says happily and- well.

He doesn’t exactly blame her, after all she does know about Cersei and if Brienne is her friend then it is obvious that she will want to protect her from the likes of him, but _they are friends too_ for god’s sake, or at least that is what she keeps on telling him, so could she at least pretend she isn't enjoying his self-humiliation?

Before he can voice this, she reaches forward and takes his left hand into hers, and right, this is why he used to think she might be interested in him.

“I won’t. Give you her number, I mean. But I was supposed to go with her to the gallery next week, but Jon’s parents will be in town and they would like to meet him and he doesn’t want to do it alone.”

“Makes sense,” Jaime agrees, because he has met Rhaegar and he knows enough about Jon’s _situation_. (Another wonder she was willing to speak with him.)

Ygritte shrugs. “He didn’t tell them we are engaged. I mean, they probably know, but he didn’t tell them and Robb usually goes to these annual meetings with him but he can’t go now, so long story short, I will ask Brienne if she would mind going with you.”

“I could ask her myself,” Jaime suggests, even though he isn't sure- she is gorgeous, and he has _never_ asked anyone out before so maybe it is not that bad if _Ygritte_ does it for him.

*

Ygritte calls him two days later.

“Brienne said yes,” she says without greeting and if Jaime’s heart makes a tiny somersault in his chest, she doesn’t need to know that.

“Oh,” he says. “I- that’s great, thank you.”

“Yes. I’ll text you the address _and_ her number in a moment, but for now… be there on time. I mean it, Jaime. Do not be late, she won’t take it well, after what a certain son of a bitch did to her. If you want to do it the old way and bring her flowers, I won’t tell you not to, but for god’s sake, do not bring roses – and don’t ask me, it is not my story to tell. I am telling you the bare minimum and only because she is my friend and I will not let you hurt her unintentionally.” She takes a deep breath. “And enjoy it, Jaime. God knows you deserve it.”

She hangs up on him before he can think of an answer.

*

He waits for Brienne outside the gallery. (Tyrion has given him a brief summary of the exhibition, sounding only mildly jealous.)

He is also there ten minutes early, because Ygritte did warn him and also because he is decided to do this the right way, which means he is dressed up in the nicest suit he has and he has bought her a bouquet of chrysanthemums _and_ he has booked a table in a restaurant not far from here.

“You came,” is the first thing Brienne tells him, surprised and Jaime wants to fucking punch whoever made her sound this grateful and _relieved_ when the only thing he did until now was showing up.

“I couldn’t wait,” he says, softly, offering her the flowers and she blushes and takes them and then she _lights up_ when she notices there are no roses.

“And you look amazing,” he adds. She does – she is wearing a royal blue pantsuit that was definitely tailored and it _definitely_ brings out her eyes and she blushes _deeper_ and Jaime is so ready to propose here and then.

“Thank you,” she says. “You- you too.”

He offers her his shoulder and she lets out a soft noise, something between laugh and cry and she accepts it.

*

“You didn’t have to do that,” Brienne tells him when they order appetizers in the restaurant.

“Do what?” he asks her, genuinely confused; he has no idea what he should and shouldn’t do on a date, fuck, what if he somehow messed up, he _should_ have read that BuzzFeed article Bronn sent him.

She shrugs.

“Anything,” she says. “I mean, I am glad you went to that gallery with me and I did enjoy it, but you don’t have to do _this_. It’s not like we are on a date, you didn’t have to bring me flowers or book the restaurant.”

Jaime blinks at her, surprised.

“It’s not,” he repeats.

Brienne is looking at him, her eyes blue a huge.

“Obviously. Ygritte couldn’t come and you’re doing her a favour. It’s okay, I know I am not the kind of woman you would ask out – you don’t have to do this.”

Jaime, for a moment, wants to be annoyed, but it’s clear that it’s no game on her part, she sounds honest and not like she wants to be reassured of herself just to hear how wonderful she is, the way Cersei sometimes would, and then he thinks of Ygritte and _it’s not my story to tell,_ she said and he _really_ wants to punch whoever made Brienne feel like this.

“I was ready to beg Ygritte for your number,” he says and it’s not what he was planning to say but it is not untrue and so he doesn’t try to take it back and just holds Brienne’s stare. “I mean – I didn’t _have to_ but…” he sighs and he really doesn’t want to go there but maybe he should. “I don’t have much experience myself. With dating, I mean. And I don’t know how much Ygritte told you about me, but you are the first woman I have _ever_ asked out. And trust me, I did want to ask you out, so- if you don’t want this to be a date, then obviously we can just have dinner and that’s it, but I did mean this to be one.”

Brienne stares at him, clearly deciding whether or not he’s kidding and Jaime is so wanting to punch whoever did this to her – he needs to ask Ygritte later. In fact, he thinks, when he tells her about this, she might even volunteer to track that guy down and beat the hell out of him herself.

And then Brienne must have decided he is serious, because she leans forward and takes his hand into hers.

“I might have been hoping it would be a date,” she tells him, smiling a bit and Jaime wants to kiss her so much it’s not funny.

They do spend the rest of the dinner discussing the exhibition and then Jaime’s work and _then_ she asks him, if they don’t need a volunteer in psychology section, provided he doesn’t mind dating his volunteer and then they discuss her thesis for a while and then he pays for the dinner but she insists on leaving the tip and she informs him she is going to pay the next time and he thinks he _might_ feel butterflies in his stomach at the thought of _next time_.

Brienne drives him home; he came by bus and is more than ready to get home the same way, but she insist and they do some more of small talk in the car and then-

She parks in front of his building and watches him unfasten his seatbelt and _then_ she smiles at him.

“Is it pushing if I want to kiss you?” she asks, blushing but looking him in the eyes and he feels _very_ weak in the knees.

“Please do,” he whispers and her entire face lights up and she kisses him, slow and deep and he would say he feels like melting into her but he decides he has had enough teenage-girl-like moments for the day and so he stops analysing it and he gives into the kiss.

“Don’t ask me for a coffee,” she tells him when they part and she is flushed and breathless.

“No?”

“No. If you’ve never been on a real date, then we’re going to do this to the letter. Besides-“ she adds, before he can protest, “I’ve never been on a good date before either. I want to enjoy it.”

Jaime smirks at that.

“So it was a good date, eh?”

“Very,” she agrees. “I might want to some more though. You know, just to be sure.”

She promises to call him soon enough and then he gets out of the car and he watches her leaving and he can’t stop smiling even as he unlocks his own apartment some ten minutes later.

He texts Ygritte to let her know it went well and she texts back with _splendid, so we_ will _save some money on the wedding as Lannister + 1 and Tarth + 1 will be Lannister + Tarth instead_ and he laughs and pointedly _doesn’t_ write back, not that she is expecting him to and Tyrion who answers _brilliant, so now I want to marry her_ too _, if you don’t propose eventually, I will in your name_ and he goes to bed feeling _better_ than he has in the last few years, maybe ever.

(He also wakes to a text message from Brienne saying _thank you for the last evening, I’ll be happy to buy you breakfast tomorrow if you feel like it_ and he isn't going to propose after the first date, but he is already sure he will, once.)

THE END


End file.
